260 Bali Rivers are Dry

Degradation of Bali's Forest and Jungle Cover Seen as Main Culprit in Diminishing Lakes and Streams.

(5/2/2009) BeritaBali.com quotes Bali's governor Made Mangku Pastika as warning that 260 rivers, or 65% of the 400 streams and rivers found on the island, dry up completely during the annual dry season. And, of the 140 rivers that currently maintain year-round water flows, many are under threat of also drying up as the result of destruction of Bali's forest cover.

The Governor warns: "Jungle regions are being cut down and water areas are being sucked dry. This condition is only going to become increasingly worse if there is no effort at conservation."

Not only are Bali's rivers beginning to run dry, four lakes in Bali have receded an average of 3 meters. Moreover, the surface of lake Batur has been reduced 7 meters.

Governor Pastika sees Bali's water crisis as tied to the island's diminishing forest resources. Bali has only a 22% jungle cover remaining, while experts say the ideal cover would be 30%.